Billiard type game board



Oct. 17, 19.50 P. c-ushko 2,526,334

BILLIARD TYPE cm BOARD med J 1 12 1949 w a I INVENTOR.

PAUL ousxwo' A r ran/v5 Y Patented Oct. 17,

UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE This invention relates to billiard type game boards and'particularly to double ended game boards similar to shufiieboards, but in which the game is played with balls and cues instead of weights. This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 631,262, filed November 28, 1945 (now abandoned).

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a double ended game board so constructed and arranged that games played thereon will have zest and will hold the interest of the players.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game board of the character described, relatively short in length, but so'constructed that a plurality of hazards will be incorporated there- 'in for the purpose of adding to the interest of the game and to the player appea Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated, double ended game board with substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. l is a vertical sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of thearrows; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a slightly modified form of game board embodying the invention.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the game board is supported in any suitable manner, as by legs II, which extend downwardly from longitudinal supporting members I2, engaging the outer portions of the under surface|3 of the board It).

The game board It) .has a flat playing surface, which is preferably covered, as shown at IS, with suitable material, such as felt, since the game is played with balls I4.

The game board has end walls I6 and H which are spacedfrom the outer ends H! of the playing surface by gutters l9 and 20.

Claims. (o1. 273-12 at each end of the game board playing surface there is a scoring area A, the inner limits of the scoring area A being determined by lines X and Y, termed foul lines.

The portions of the side walls 2| and 22, space inwardly from the lines X and Y, are provided with rebound cushions of rubber or suitable elastic material. These cushions are secured to blocks or strips 26 mounted on the upper surfaces of the. lateral edges of the game board ID in any suitable manner, as, for instance, as shown in Fig, 2. The upper surfaces of 1 the side walls 2| and 22 above the cushions are preferably provided with rails 21.

At each end of the game board, above the scoring area A, are mounted transversely extending baffles, three baffles being shown in the drawings. Each bafiie consists of a transversely extending, flexible, elastic strip 30, which is mounted in a rod 3| having a central bore 32 and a longitudinally extending slot 33 which extends from the periphery into the central bore v 32. The strip 39 has a rounded portion 35 which y. fits into the bore 32 and a flattened portion 36 I 25' which extends through the slot 33 and projects beyond the periphery of the rod 3|.

The rods 3| are mounted at their ends in sockets 31 formed in vertical posts 38, the rods being held inthe sockets by set screws 39. Each of the posts 38 has an elongated, threaded shank 40, and on the shank are mounted nuts M and 42 and washers 33. By adjusting the nuts on the shank 40, the posts can be raised or lowered relative to the game board H! on which they are mounted. The shanks 4|] extend through vertical openings 45 in the game board and the nut 4| is disposed above the game board and the nut 42 is disposed below the game board.

Each of the posts has an elastic buffer 48 encircling the post in a position above the playing surface of the game board and so disposed as to be engaged by a ball in the event that the ball travels in a path intersecting the post.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the bafiles C, D and E extend transversely of the game board, but the outer ends of these baffles are spaced from the inner surfaces of the walls 2| and 22 so that the balls, if so directed, can pass through the spaces at the lateral ends of the- In playing the game, the ball is 'put in play outside of the line X or Y and the ball is propelled by a cue and is so directed as to engage one of the side cushions 25 and to rebound therefrom. One possible path of travel is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The scoring area is preferably scored as shown in Fig. l, the space inside of the baffle C and beyond the ends of the baffles scoring 1, the space between the baffles C and D scoring 2, and the space between the baffles D and E scoring 3. If desired, a ball disposed beneath the bafile E, as shown in Fig. 1, may score 4.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5 differs from that shown in Fig. 1 only in the location of the baflles C, D and E. These baffies in Fig. 5 are shown extending to a position adjacent the wall 22, the other ends of the bafiles being spaced from the wall 2|.

From the foregoing specification it will be evident that although the game board may be made relatively short, the game will hold the interest of the players due to the hazzards introduced by the side cushions and baflles. Thus, the game will have a strong player appeal.

Moreover, so far as is known, this game board makes possible the playing of an entirely new game, played with balls and cues on a double ended board with scoring areas at each end and ball; retarding means associated therewith.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various, cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A game board: of billiard table type comprising an elongated flat playing surface having a scoring area at an end thereof and vertically adjustably mounted transverse bars carried by the game board and spaced longitudinally of the game board and above the scoring area, depending flexible members carried by said bars,

, the lower edges of the flexible members terminating in a plane above and parallel with the scoring area of said flat playing surface with said lower edges in the path of travel of playing balls through portions of'the scoring area for engaging the tops of the balls and successively retarding the movement of the balls.

2. A game board of the billiard table type comprising an elongated flat playing surface having a scoring area at an end thereof, and means carriedby the game board, including a plurality of flexible members extending transversely thereof above the scoring area and depending in the path of travel of the balls through a major portion of the scoring area for engaging the tops of the balls and retarding the movement of the balls, the major portion of the scoring area being substantially encompassed between said flexible members disposed at the limits of said area and spaced longitudinally of the playing surface, and said flexible members being spaced a distance apart greater than the diameter of a playing ball whereby a ball may come to rest between adjacent flexible members and be spaced therefrom.

3. A double ended game board of the billiard table type comprising an elongated flat playing surface having a scoring area at each end thereof, and means carried by the game board at each end thereof, including a plurality of flexible members extending transversely thereof above each scoring area and depending in the path of travel of the balls through a major portion of the scoring area for engaging the tops of the balls and retarding the movement of the balls, the major portion of each scoring area being substantially encompassed between said flexible members disposed at the limits of said area and spaced longitudinally of the playing surface, and said flexible members being spaced a distance apart greater than the diameter of a playing ball whereby a ball may come to rest between adjacent flexible members and be spaced therefrom.

4. A double ended game board of the billiard table type comprising an elongated flat playing surface having a scoring area at each end thereof, and means carried by the game board at each end thereof, including a plurality of flexible members extending transversely thereof above each scoring area and depending in the path of travel of the balls through a major portion of the scoring area for engaging the tops of the balls and retarding the movement of the balls, the major portion of each scoring area being substantially encompassed between-said flexible members disposed at the limits of said area and spaced longitudinally of the playing surface, and said flexible members being spaced a distance apart greater than the diameter of a playing ball whereby a ball may come to rest between adjacent flexible members and be spaced therefrom, the ends of the flexible members being spaced inwardly from at least one of the lateral edges of the playing surface whereby a ball may travel over the playing surface laterally of said flexible members without. interference therefrom.

5. A double ended game board of the billiard table type comprising an elongated flat playing surface having a scoring area at each end thereof,-and means carried by the game board at each end thereof, including a plurality of flexible members extending transversely thereof above each scoring area and depending in the path of travel of the balls through a major portion of the scoring area for engaging the tops of the balls and retarding the movement of the balls, the major portion of each scoring area being substantially encompassed between said flexible members disposed at'the limits of said area and spaced longitudinally of the playing surface, said flexible members being spaced a distance apart greater than the diameter of a playing ball whereby a ball-may come to rest between adjacent flexible members and be spaced therefrom, the ends of the flexible members being spaced inwardly of the lateral edges of the scoring areas whereby a ball may travel over the scoring areas laterally of the flexible members without interference therefrom, and said flexible members being of sequentially'decreasing lengths from the outer ends of the game. board toward the transverse center thereof.

PAUL CUSANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UN ITED STATES PATENTS Cusano Mar. 2, 1943 

